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It’s been years since I’ve reviewed or wrote a classical specification document. I don’t hear the demand for these documents from engineers anymore, or anyone belabor 30-50 pages of market and functional requirements. So, what’s changed? Why aren’t people still focused on creating these very important artifacts?

For one, the tools for software development and design have evolved, eliminating a lot of steps and possibly some job functions. I remember coding in the late 90s. The project I was working involved using C++ and MFC to create a client server system for home loan servicing. In order to create every screen, there was a lot of work that needed to be done – creating the C++ classes, laying out the dialogs, writing stored procedures, etc. Once completed, getting customer feedback required the business analysts and executives to travel to the customer site and show the software on their machines, or install it off a CD. It was during this time that the cost of a mistake and th…